Elgin City 1-2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Lonsana Doumbouya spared Inverness Caledonian Thistle's blushes as his second-half header edged them past League Two Elgin 2-1 in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.Despite him missing a glut of earlier chances, an under-strength Inverness had Doumbouya to thank to ensure their safe passage into the next round.Mark Nicolson had given Elgin the lead with a low free-kick in the first half before Larnell Cole's immediate leveller.And Guinean Doumbouya headed the decisive goal midway through the second half to oust the plucky Borough Briggs side.Elgin made only one change from their 3-2 win over Annan, with Cammy Mackay, ineligible to play against his parent club, replaced in goal by Marc Waters.The Caley Jags sprang a couple of surprises, leaving out Ross Draper and Josh Meekings entirely from the squad. There were starts for Scott Boden and Aaron Doran, with new signings Dean Ebbe and Henri Anier on the bench.Elgin settled well and briefly pressured the Inverness backline before the visitors edged themselves into the game. Cole, in particular, started well and turned Elgin right-back Matthew Cooper with ease before seeing his shot blocked.Waters was the first goalkeeper to be called into action, palming a long-range effort from Greg Tansey into the air before catching it at the second attempt.Cole then saw his low effort blocked by the legs of Waters as Elgin held Caley Thistle at bay.Yet it was Inverness who conceded first after 25 minutes. Iain Vigurs needlessly hauled down Chris McLeish just outside the area and Nicolson's free-kick, which trundled around the wall, should have been stopped by Owain Fon Williams and could only have taken a bobble before it rolled over the goalkeeper.It sparked something out of the Premiership visitors as Cole took it upon himself to carry the baton, skipping past Cooper again and sliding in an equaliser.Inverness continued in the same vein at the start of the second half, with Doumbouya bringing a smart save out of Waters after meeting a Doran cross. Boden was then denied by a combination of Darryl McHardy and Daniel Moore before Doumbouya contrived to head wide from four yards when Doran picked him out.Doumbouya headed against the bar from a similar distance two minutes later but finally showed a clinical touch, planting a header from Doran's cross past Waters on 67 minutes.Caley Thistle fans were afforded a first sighting of new signing Anier late on, and despite Vigurs hitting the bar from a free-kick, they had enough to hold on.ends
